[Confirm Pull]
'Confirm!'
The approval points in the upper right corner, which had quietly reached 32,000, began rapidly decreasing. Amber felt her heart ache watching it; this was the first time she'd spent such a hefty sum.
But the reward made her breath catch.
[Character Card: Seele (Herrscher of Death) x1, Core of the Herrscher of Death x1, Stigmata: Seele - Herrscher of Life and Death (M) x1, Stigmata: Seele - Herrscher of Life and Death (B) x1, Character Card: Vita (Masked Fool Era) x1]
Hold on, why did Vita come out of this too?
[The gacha pool can yield any item. The pool's cover image represents the current 'Up' anchor point. The probability of obtaining items related to this 'Up' anchor is significantly increased.]
'So, if I were lucky, I could even pull a Bronya?'
Amber felt a familiar itch, but on some level, wouldn't pulling Bronya from a Seele pool count as losing the 50/50?
Wait, no, Vita's power level was still pretty high, probably stronger than a Herrscher in their Awakened form, though it was hard to say what her full strength might be.
She likely couldn't measure up to the Phoenix Celestial in her prime form, right? Or were they actually on the same level?
'Right, with so many character cards now, many are just going unused. What can I do with these extra cards?'
[Duplicate character cards can be converted via the System Shop, allowing two to be merged and exchanged for another random character card.]
She'd almost forgotten about the shop. Now that she thought of it, the Navigator mentioned before that Star Gems and other miscellaneous items could be spent there...
If only she'd saved 3,500 approval points to awaken the Main Control Consciousness...
[Reminder: 3,500 approval points are insufficient to unlock the System Shop.]
'Huh? But didn't the Navigator say 3,500 points would be enough to wake the Main Control Consciousness?'
[Correct. However, awakening it would only sustain the Main Control Consciousness briefly. While active, the System Shop would be accessible for a limited time.]
...So that's why neither the Navigator nor 'she' wanted to proceed with the awakening back then.
There was more to it. Thinking back, it was only her second time pulling. With no resources to speak of, even if she had awakened the Main Control Consciousness, aside from a short chat, she couldn't have done anything...
'Then how many approval points are needed to fully restore the Main Control Consciousness?'
[The energy grade of approval points is insufficient to support the system's complete operation.]
[Method One for Restoring Main Control Consciousness: Reconnect to the Main System. The Main System will resume energy supply to System A0522, sustaining system operations.]
[Method Two: Continuously consume approval points to maintain system operation.]
'Continuously... how much is that?'
[Based on energy conversion calculations, 2,000 approval points can sustain system operation for thirty minutes.]
'...It's a bottomless pit. Is there any way to balance that kind of expenditure with income?'
[Numbered systems are branches of the Main System. Recommendation rating for Method Two is 0.023%.']
'And Method One...?'
[0.000020042%']
Even more hopeless...
Amber couldn't fathom how she could possibly gain over 2,000 approval points every half hour, continuously.
To achieve that, she'd have to be some kind of global idol... and one that everyone liked, at that. The main issue was that approval points could only be provided by key plot characters... otherwise, it might have been slightly possible.
Setting aside those unrealistic thoughts for now, Amber updated her equipped character card to Herrscher of Death and equipped the scythe, Path to Acheron: Kindred, which she had pulled earlier.
After updating the card, she felt completely different. It wasn't just the noticeably more powerful strength coursing through her, but also the deeper, tighter connection she felt with the Stigma on her chest—with Dark Amber.
Power continuously surged from the Stigma.
It was a shame, though. Having already experienced the might of the Phoenix Celestial, even though Herrscher of Death was far stronger than her previous Swallowtail Phantasm form... it still paled in comparison to the Celestial's power.
But Amber wasn't anxious. Holding the Core of the Herrscher of Death, she could transform into the Herrscher of Life and Death at any time.
She was just worried she couldn't control the power properly and might end up killing Sukuna and Yuji together. So, for now, she'd stick with Path to Acheron: Kindred.
The surrounding atmosphere was gloomy and pitch black. Being inside the Special Grade Curse's domain, the place was saturated with its vile energy.
Pulling her thoughts back together, Amber strained to identify Yuji Itadori's cursed energy signature. Once she found it, she followed the trail, taking the fastest route possible.
Which meant taking the straight path and demolishing everything in her way.
But before she could smash through more than a few walls, the massive, technique-less domain—impressive in size but useless otherwise—shook and began to crumble, revealing the building's original form.
Well, that worked. Freed from the interference, Amber simply phased through space, arriving directly at the location where she sensed Yuji Itadori's cursed energy.
The moment she materialized, her eyes landed on Sukuna, who was leisurely pulling his hand out of his own chest.
Shredded pieces of internal organs and flesh slid out between his fingers, dripping with blood.
The sight churned Amber's stomach. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly, and anger flashed across her face.
"Appearing before me so suddenly. A teleportation technique, I assume?"
Sukuna had naturally noticed the fluctuation in cursed energy nearby. Glancing at the girl who had landed beside him, a mocking grin spread across his face. "A pity you're a step too late. That brat can't possibly come out now."
As he spoke, he theatrically extended his right hand, displaying the bits of flesh and blood still clinging to it.
"If that kid forces a switch now, he'll die on the spot."
Sukuna's expression was one of sheer exhilaration. "This means... I am completely free."
"Itadori-senpai, you can switch back anytime."
Amber remembered that Yuji gradually regained consciousness, though the exact timing was unclear. She decided to test the waters.
"Don't worry about the heart. Seele has awakened a technique that can heal the body."
Sukuna's face instantly darkened.
However, as time ticked by, the situation remained unchanged.
"Heh... Hehehe... Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!"
The grin on his lips widened uncontrollably. Sukuna could no longer contain his glee. A large mouth sprouted on the palm holding the finger and swallowed it.
Now possessing the power of three fingers, Ryomen Sukuna radiated pure killing intent.
"Though I don't know the specifics, I just need to kill you before that brat wakes up, right?"
He stated his next move simply and clearly. The smile on his face, combined with the grotesque sight of his four eyes, sent an indescribable chill down Amber's spine.
He was genuinely hideous.
"While I'd love to torture you, and the curse inside you, thoroughly... it matters little. I'm sure this era holds no shortage of those who can amuse me. I'll make this quick."
Sukuna's hands formed the Enma Heaven Seal. His cursed energy skyrocketed in an instant.
The next moment, a massive shrine materialized behind him. It should have been a sacred pavilion for enshrining deities, but its interior was filled with distorted, bizarre flesh.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine."
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T/N: Classroom of the Elite Fanfic Up!
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.